Wednesday, July 20, 2011

#259) CLAUDELL WASHINGTON

Claudell Washington was traded from the Chicago White Sox to the New York Mets in exchange for Jesse Anderson on June 7, 1980. The veteran who had played all three outfield positions as a 19-year-old rookie for the Champion Oakland A's in the 1974 World Series was not nearly as popular in Chicago. A fan banner reading "Washington Slept Here." was once infamously displayed from the Comiskey Field bleachers.

Joining the Mets seemed to regenerate the talented slugger. Washington made his Mets debut at Shea Stadium on June 11th as a pinch-hitter, but thrilled the New York fans days later in Los Angeles. On June 22nd, Claudell would become just the third man in club history to hit three home runs in a single game. The left-handed hitter had a total of four hits and drove in five runs during the Mets 9-6 victory over the Dodgers.

Washington's best day in Flushing came on the Fourth of July. New York hosted the Montreal Expos in a doubleheader that saw him connect for six hits in ten at-bats over the two games. Claudell had a total of 21 multi-hit games during his 79 appearances for the Mets in 1980. He would also finish the season collecting the team's second highest home run total with 10 round-trippers.

Claudell left the Mets when he signed as a free agent with Atlanta on November 15, 1980. The deal given to Washington by Braves owner, Ted Turner was one of the game's richest three-year contracts at that time. In the new age of "free agency" the size of the commitment sent shockwaves throughout baseball. New York Mets general manager, Frank Cashen called the signing, "stupefying."

Washington would enjoy a 17-year career in the major-leagues that finished in 1990. "I still had a love and passion for the game," Claudell said about the end of his playing days, "but something was missing. When something's missing and I can't go out there and have my total focus on what I'm doing, it's time for me to go." After baseball he became the CEO of CWash, Inc, a construction company in Oakland, California. Applying some of the same attributes that produced his success on the diamond, "Camaraderie, unity, paying attention to details, managing your resources—all that comes into play."

I created Claudell Washington's card in the set from a signed index card purchased from Worldwide Collectibles on June 14, 2011.

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PROJECT STATUS

Current Count of 712 of 791 players.

90.0% Complete

( 7 -Special Moment cards)

Project started in October 2008.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The New York Mets and all their fans bid farewell to a major part of their history at the close of the 2008 baseball season. Shea Stadium had been our summer home for 45 years. So many memories were built there by the 790 players that appeared in a game for the Mets during that time. In celebration of that I created a set of handmade cards featuring each one of these men. My design was done in such a way as to allow an autograph to be included. I am now in the process of having each one signed by those players. This blog will feature the cards as I get them completed. I hope you enjoy following my progress and reliving the careers of these great men that will always be our Mets.

ABOUT ME

I am a lifelong New York Mets fan that grew up in the midwest. I have followed the club and it's rich array of characters throughout the years. Perhaps the most special of which are the "one game" appearances. These men each have a terrific story and honor the legacy of the great Archibald "Moonlight" Graham.
As an autograph collector of the Mets team I will be posting my successes here as well. The focus of my collection is to add a signed baseball card for each man to appear in a game for the Mets. I will be posting examples of these here.